I babysit my neighbor's children every day after school until their parents get home from work. I love my job because the kids are fun to play with, get along with each other, and are good for me when I watch them. The two things I struggle with daily are 1) getting them to tell me about their day without the response of, “I don’t know,” and 2) eating a healthy snack, rather than chocolate or fruit snacks.
I learned about child development last year in AP Psychology. I am interested in the subject because I feel like it is applicable to teaching elementary aged kids. Obviously every child is different when it comes to opening up sociably or what they know at their age, but at certain ages they learn how to do the same things. For example, how to walk or ride a bike.
The two kids I babysit are both in elementary school. The age, gender, and grade isn’t important to this post, there is no need to be scientific. From what I have learned so far, it's that you have to encourage them to talk. If you simply ask, “What did you do today?” That is way too broad for someone that young to formulate a response. You either need to be more specific and ask each one about something you know they like, or ask in general an easy topic they’ll remember from their day. For example, “What did you eat for lunch today?” This leaves the air open for anything they possibly could have eaten so far. It doesn’t really matter what their response is, as long as you get them talking. It is important for kids to talk about their day so you understand their progress in school and keep them liking school as well. Another question I have found that works is asking about their “special” of the day. Either: art, gym, or music. Then I simply follow up with, “What are a couple things you did in that class today?”
Kids will answer to "How was math today?" With, “It was ok.” This doesn’t mean kids do not like to learn, it is simply not something they are thrilled to talk about because they have been doing it all day. If you give them something playful to talk about, they will be more open. We will tackle eating healthy at a later date.... (403)
No comments:
Post a Comment